{"id":22098,"date":"2026-07-03T08:57:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T08:57:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/burmeier-ingenieure.de\/?p=22098"},"modified":"2026-07-03T08:59:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T08:59:49","slug":"vom-abfall-zum-rohstoff-bohrschlammaufbereitung-im-landkreis-uelzen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/burmeier-ingenieure.de\/en\/vom-abfall-zum-rohstoff-bohrschlammaufbereitung-im-landkreis-uelzen\/","title":{"rendered":"From waste to raw material \u2013 drilling mud processing in the district of Uelzen"},"content":{"rendered":"

The expansion of digital infrastructure is progressing rapidly in Germany. Horizontal drilling is a preferred method for laying fibre-optic cables \u2013 it is gentle on the ground and efficient to carry out. However, this process presents a waste disposal problem that has long been underestimated: drilling mud. A flagship project in the district of Uelzen demonstrates how this waste can be managed in a way that is compliant with the law, cost-effective and, at the same time, sustainable. For Prof. Burmeier Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH (BIG)<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 part of the network of SIERA<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 this environmental engineering project is a clear example of how technical innovation and the circular economy can work together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem: drilling mud with no disposal route<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Horizontal drilling has been supporting the expansion of the fibre-optic network in the district of Uelzen for several years. However, this advantageous method of laying cables generates considerable quantities of drilling slurry \u2013 waste that is subject to the requirements of the Circular Economy Act (KrWG). Without proper treatment, it may neither be recycled nor disposed of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On-site infiltration is just as prohibited as the long-standing practice of spreading the slurry on agricultural land. In a decree dated 7 August 2015, the Lower Saxony Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Climate Protection expressly prohibited the uncontrolled disposal of drilling slurry from horizontal boreholes, which had been the practice until then. In Lower Saxony, even for uncontaminated drilling mud, only a few treatment facilities were available, meaning that disposal was associated with high transport costs and significant traffic emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The question remained: so where should the sludge go?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The approach taken by AWB Uelzen<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The search for a legally compliant and proportionate disposal method prompted the Uelzen District Waste Management Authority (AWB) to tackle the problem using its own resources. Given the locational advantage of its own Class II landfill site at the Borg Waste Management Centre, the AWB considered disposing of the mineral-rich drilling sludge on site in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following a market analysis, AWB identified Max Wild, a company based in Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg, as a technology partner capable of combining the treatment of drilling muds with the recovery of the drilling suspension. This dual effect and the tailored treatment processes proved convincing because they are specifically designed to address the particular properties of the drilling mud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As well as reducing disposal costs, the positive impact on the environmental footprint also played a decisive role:<\/p>\n\n\n\n